Howard Bloom On How A Godless Cosmos Creates

How does the universe create itself out of nothing, then keep going for billions of remarkable, evolving millennia? Can you even have "nothing," or do you have to bring God into the equation? These are the kinds of questions that arise when you're trying to explain the origin of life in the universe. Questions that Howard Bloom — science prodigy, former PR man for Prince, friend of Buzz Aldrin — tackles in his new book, “The God Problem.”

Also this hour: Washington state took a step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions this week with lawmakers passing an act to figure out how the state would reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. British Columbia already taxes carbon, California has a cap-and-trade system. We hear what they can teach Washington state from British Columbia Environment Minister Terry Lake and state Senator Kevin Ranker.

Plus, Seattle has a growing contemporary dance scene, loosely centered around Cornish College of the Arts and Velocity Dance Center. Dozens of local choreographers and independent companies present work almost every weekend of the year. Among the mix is Seattle Dance Project, a company of older, classically trained dancers. Marcie Sillman talks with Seattle Dance Project choreographer Jason Ohlberg about what keeps him creative.

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Energy expert Amory Lovins says the United States can replace all oil and coal by the year 2050, without nuclear power, new federal taxes or subsidies, or new inventions. At the same time, we can grow the US economy by 158 percent.